Belle's Great Escape
by Allielove95
Summary: Princess Belle had always dreamed of going on an adventure like the ones she had read about. When her father upsets her about forcing her to marry, she locks herself in her room and is visited by the Dark One. He offers an escape to her dull life in exchange for the hook of an infamous captain. Soon Belle finds herself in one of her story books with none other than Rumpelstiltskin.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Once Upon a Time (Though I wish I did) or any of the characters used in this story. I'm thinking of doing possibly 10 chapters in total. Will update soon!

There was something about stories that intrigued Belle. She often wished she could be swept away or go on great adventures like in her stories. Sailing over high seas, fighting monsters, finding buried treasure and getting swept away by a handsome prince.

However, Belle knew that she would never get to experience such adventures. The closest thing to any sort of adventure would be the kind she went on when she read. Being princess of a kingdom caused her to do many duties that kept her busy, but she always found time to let her imagination flow. Belle exited the castle library with a stack of books.

She wobbled back and forth attempting to keep a steady balance. Suddenly she felt her feet trip and was knocked over backwards, causing the books to scatter all across the castle hall. Belle growled under her breath and pick up each book carefully one by one. She smiled when she recognized the face of her father coming down the hall.

"My god Belle are you alright? I saw you fall carrying all those books! You should have gotten a servant to carry them to your room for you." The king checked for injuries on his only beloved daughter as she got up and dusted herself off.

"I'm alright papa" she reassured.

"Its this dress you recently got for me. I can hardly breathe when I wear it and I always trip over the material." Belle continued picking up the books, creating another large pile for herself to carry.

"Here let me help you with those" King Maurice suggested, taking a handful of books. Belle thanked her father as they both walked up to her room. She happily took the books and placed them on her side dresser. Immediately she opened on the book up dropped on the comfort of her large bed.  
Mesmerized by the story Belle hardly listened to what her father was going to say next.

"Belle as you know the annual ball is tonight."

"Mhmm" was all Belle could say not paying attention to her father.

"I've invited Prince Gaston from the neighbouring kingdom to attend, he is quite fond of you, you know" Maurice added

"How nice." Belle said absent mindedly.

"I was hoping, well we all were, that perhaps you two would... Hit it off."  
He spoke slowly trying to hint something.

"You are after all turning twenty three next month and I would like it very much if you would take his hand in marriage."

Belle nodded "Sure sounds great" she said with no emotion, her eyes scanned the adventurous pages, wondering if the dread pirate would make the beautiful princess walk the plank.

"Wait" Belle thought "Did he just say married? To Gaston of all people? The man was an arrogant fool!" Before Maurice had the chance to exit out of the room Belle proclaimed: "MARRIED?! Oh papa I cannot marry Gaston!" She protested.

"Why ever not darling? He is rich, handsome and powerful, such a man as he would make a fine husband." He tried to persuade Belle further.

"I cannot marry him because Gaston is not my true love." Belle said innocently her blue eyes staring up into her fathers.

"True love?" Maurice questioned.

"Belle you have been reading too many books. I have already made the arrangements for you too marry him." The kings tone became more angry with each protest he heard from his stubborn daughter.

"I can't marry him papa, I won't!"

"You can and will marry Gaston whether you agree or not!" Maurice boomed loudly.

"You cannot force me to do such a thing, I would rather walk the plank!" Belle retorted, reopening her book and continuing her reading.

"I think I know your problem Belle. Its those books that are turning you so rebellious! You must understand those things you read are fiction! Such stories of true love are not real." Maurice outbursted grabbing the handful of books and tossing them in the nearby fire, causing them to immediately scorch and burn to a crisp.  
Belle let out a whimpering cry, her eyes opened wide letting tears flow down her cheeks.

"Maybe when you are done with your child play you can open your eyes to reality!" The king hissed, slamming the door as he left Belles room.

Belle stared empty at the fireplace then continued to sob at the sight of her treasured books turning into nothing but ash. Her tears hit the single book left in her hand, the one she had been reading, the only one that had not been destroyed by the impulse of her father.

She couldn't marry Gaston, he was superficial and proud. If she married him she would never forgive herself. Belle covered her face in her feathered pillow and cried until a sudden noise made her turn around. Her blue eyes scanned the room. "Hello?" She called out, still searching for the cause of the noise.

"Why is it that a princess such as yourself is so upset?" A mans voice seemed to be coming from outside the window.

Belle got off her bed and opened it, sticking her head out of window in search of the mysterious stranger. There was no sign of anyone. Belle closed her window and took a breath in. She turned around and suddenly was face to face with a imp life creature with almost a reptilian complexion.

Belle jumped back with disgust and terror. She had read about this creature they had called the "dark one". He pocessed unnatural dark power that he could use to do whatever he would like.

"You" was all Belle could manage to say out of her shocked lips.

"Yes its me dearie, Rumpelstiltskin. I heard a maiden crying and I know how to recognize a distressed soul when I hear one."

"I'm not distressed." She protested angrily her sadness channeling into rage. Rumpelstiltskin walked over the Belles bed and grabbed the only book that was not burned.

"Then I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I-" He made a gesture as if he were toss it into the fire pit with the others. Belle immediately made a lunge for the book and held it close to her chest.

"What do you want?" Belle asked.

"To make you a deal." Rumpelstiltskin grinned.

Belle shook her head. "I'm perfectly content, thank you very much but I don't need dark magic to be happy."

"Well then I hope you enjoy being Mrs. Sir Gaston the rest of your life."

Then with those words he was about to snap his fingers to disappear when Belle quickly exclaimed "Wait!"  
He smiled evilly like he knew Belle would need his help.

"What could you possibly do to help my situation?" She asked obviously curious about this man. Rumpelstiltskin moved in closer to her face which caused Belle to tremble uncomfortably. "I could take you away from this land.. For a while until your father realizes what's best for you of course."

"Where would you take me?" Belle gulped.  
Rumpelstiltskin gestured toward the book still in Belles embrace.

"There" He spoke surprisingly gentle.

"My book?"

"I've looked into your dreams Belle, haven't you always wanted to get away and go for an adventure? Like the ones you read about?"  
Belle exhaled.

"Damn this creature was convincing every bone in her body craved the adventure she had been deprived of her entire life. There was no way she was going to that ball tonight so Gaston could court her."

"What would you want in return?" She asked.

"In this other world, you will do me a favor" He gestured towards the book in Belle's hand "How far have you read into that book?"

"Not very far, the first chapter perhaps"

"You see dearie, there is a man by the name of captain hook in this other world. My price" He paused "Is his hook."

"Why do you care for this.. Hook?" Belle spoke.

"It is one of the two objects that can harm me in all the realms, if you get it for me, he will no longer be able to threaten me with it." Rumpelstiltskin stated and raised his dark eyebrows. "Now do we have a deal?"

Belles heart raced fast. It would only be temporary and how hard could it be to obtain this hook? Think of the adventure Belle! She thought to herself. You've always wanted to be the heroin in the story that received a happy ending.

Staring into the Dark Ones gloomy eyes she held out her hand. "Deal"

The imp made a squeaking laugh out of excitement and covered Belle in a dark purple swirl of magic, making her disappear from the room entirely. Looking around the room he snapped his fingers also covering himself in the purple foggy smoke following Princess Belle to Neverland.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews! It really helps me stay motivated for this story. I plan on updating as soon as possible and am thinking of introducing the lost boys or even Peter Pan in later chapters. It will also be revealed Rumple's true intentions of wanted belle around. I do not own once upon a time or any of these awesome characters!

Belle reopened her eyes and found herself in a world like no other. This land resembled exactly what she had imagined in her adventure books. She was swept away from her castle like prison and transported to what looked like a paradise. She looked down to discover her golden dress replaced with brown pants and a white shirt. Belle turned to Rumpelstiltskin with surprise.

"Its beautiful here." She whispered with amazement. It was like a tropical paradise, the lush green landscape, the clear light blue water, she couldn't help but smile to herself.

"Don't forget our deal, dearie." Rumple grinned.  
"I believe Captain Hook resides on the other side of the island. His ship is called the Jolly Roger. Get aboard the ship and take the hook no matter what the cost."

Belles blue eyes opened wide with shock.

"You mean you want me to kill him?!" She squeaked. Rumple simply shrugged.

"I do not care on how you obtain the hook, poison him, kill him whatever you prefer. As long as you get that hook." The last words he gritted through his black teeth.

"I- I cannot fight a pirate! I'll lose for sure." As brave and courageous as she wished she was, Belle knew she was right.

"I will distract him, but it is essential that you take his hook from his hand."  
Belle nodded understanding him but still seemed confused once more.

"What if we get lost?" She questioned.

Rumple shook his head "We won't."

"What if we run into a fierce animal?"

"Then I will slay it with magic." He stated starting to walk quickly forwards.

"What if-"

"My goodness princess you ask a lot of questions!" Rumple growled, slightly annoyed at the curious girl.

Belle bit her lip and caught up to Rumple following his lead into the tropical forest.  
Belle stopped to noticing the strange plants that grew beneath their feet. This was just like the story in her book! The journey, the adventure it was unreal! She would get back and tell her father that such stories did indeed exist, he just needed to believe they did. Right about now she would have been still upset, getting ready for that stupid Ball. Belle couldn't help but smirk on the thought of Gaston being left at the Ball alone, his ego needed to be downsized anyway.

"Keep up!" A harsh voice demanded. Belle shook herself of her thoughts and once again caught up to Rumpelstiltskin.

"How long will it take to reach the other side of the island?" Asked Belle wary of his response.

"Three days.. A week at most."

"Why didn't you just transport us to that side of the island in the first place?" Belle cocked her head to the side and raised her eyebrows, her auburn dark hair draped over her shoulders. Rumple stopped and faced her.

"I promised you an adventure you wouldn't forget and you certainly will not forget this one." He smirked darkly. "I never break my deals" He let out a laugh near the end of his sentence which made Belles stomach flip over.

It felt as if there was something was not telling her. The forest became darker and darker which made Belle shiver.  
Even though she was skeptical of her new companion, she stayed close just in case of danger. They came to a nearby waterfall with a calm pool at the bottom.

"I would like a drink." Belle demanded and made her way down to the clear pool of water.  
Then suddenly Belle slipped on the moss on the rocks and lost her balance. Her arms swung and searched for something to grab a hold of then, she dove head first into the deep pool of water.

Belle found herself underwater for quite sometime, until she finally pulled herself up towards shore gasping for air as she reached the surface. She violently splashed around and held onto a nearby rock. Then as her foot climbed up out of the pool she felt something caress it. She whipped around the see three mermaids, their skin was pale and their hair was black. Belle struggled as far away as she could from these creatures.

"What is your name?" One asked, her voice sounding rough and raspy showing off her sharpened man-eating teeth.  
Belle gulped, horrified of what things these creatures could do to her. Then without another second passing by, Belle was pulled up out of the water and came face to face with an even more horrifying face: Rumpelstiltskin.

"You clumsy foolish girl! Do I need to constantly watch you like an infant?!" He scolded her.

"I had everything under control" Belle lied

"I never needed your help." She emphasized feeling rather foolish.

"I'll be more considerate next time I save you from nearly being eaten from mermaids." Rumple hissed.

Belle awkwardly looked down. She knew she was a klutz and she was being foolish for not being more careful.

"Thank you." Was all she said after that.

All Rumple could think about was the way she was talking to him, nobody ever had talked to him in that before, perhaps there was more bravery to this curious princess that met the eye.  
Eventually they stopped for a quick break. Belle crunched on an apple she had picked from a nearby tree.

"So this Captain Hook" Belle began her sentence, taking another bite of her apple.  
"What is the history between you two?"

Rumpelstiltskin seemed to tense at her question. "Its complicated" He brushed off her question.

"Well its clearly not nothing if he wants to harm you." She insisted.  
He didn't respond.

"Why can his hook harm you anyway, aren't you supposed to be the all powerful Dark One, without any weaknesses?"

Rumple noticed she would keep asking questions until he gave up some kind of answer.

"His hook obtains a deathly poison that is incurable in any realm. If Captain hook were to stab anyone, they would immediately be poisoned and perish within 24 hours." Rumple stopped for a moment before continuing speaking.

"Everyone has their weaknesses princess, some are just easier to point out than others." Rumpelstiltskin added.

Belle tried not to ask too many questions, but as she knew that would be a difficult challenge to face. She noticed his overuse of calling her "princess". Gaston used to call her that when they were arranged to socialize and were under pressure to fall in love. She preferred if people called her Belle it made her feel more normal.

"You know, you can call me Belle." She suggested.

"I don't want to be a princess here. Here I just want to be plain old Belle."

"Very well, Belle" he said her name almost awkwardly tilting his head to examine this very unusual girl.

"We better get a move on." Rumple spoke, straightening himself up to face Belle who was still sitting on the ground, off in her own little world totally ignorant of what was to come of her. She got up and continued to follow him out of the tropical lush forest.

"Be careful." Rumple warned "We don't want any incidences like the one before, now do we?" He couldn't help but smirk at his comment.

Belle bit her lip watching her every step closely until she realized they were no longer surrounded by trees, but in a wide open field. She lifted her head and stared off into the visible distance, trying to keep her breath at an even pace. There in the distance were 3 peaks of vast mountains, so different from the rest of the island.

"What are those?" Belle questioned, her gaze never left the horrific sight.

"Those are what we must go through to get on the other side of the island, dearie. Troll Cliffs, I believe is what the locals call them."  
"Troll Cliffs?" Belle scrunched her noise at such an ugly name.

"Why on earth would they call them that?" She murmured. Rumple inhaled a breath full of fresh air, preparing yet another answer for this girls on going curiousness.

"For the obvious reasons of course dearie. Trolls live among those horrific landscapes and will ultimately rip you to shreds if you get too close" He giggled rather amused by the thought of that.

Belle sighed heavily letting out her breath. No such thing as horrible as that could be true in such a lovely place. Belle thought but found herself confused when Rumpelstiltskin did not join in the gest.  
Belle cleared her throat and confronted him.  
"You're joking right?"

Rumple let out another childish laugh but never turned around to face her.  
In a matter of days this so called "adventure of Belle's" would be over and he would pocess the hook of the Captain. He, Rumpelstiltskin would become even more powerful than he already was. He just needed this naïve girl to get it for him first.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys I appreciate every review that you guys send! I am so excited to continue this story and have a good idea on how to end it. I fixed the spacing on the first chapter, for some reason the document didn't transfer the wording correctly. Anyway I hope you enjoy this next chapter. The next couple chapters will explore Belle and Rumple's relationship as well as other things:) I do not own once upon a time or any of the characters associated with it. Please review!

There was a marked path leading up to the peaks of the vast mountains. They had been walking for several hours and Belle's feet began to ache. Though the weather was sunny and bright over the other parts of Neverland, there brewed a storm cloud over top of the mountains, causing the peaks to be lost in the darkness of the fog.

Suddenly a booming roar shook the ground, which seemed to come from the further parts of the path. Belles eyes grew wide with fear, but kept on walking forward. She needed to be courageous and brave. Heroes weren't afraid of the beasts that awaited them, nor the challenges they faced over and over again. Rumple could sense Belle's hesitancy to continue and told her to stop without notice.

"You're missing something." Rumple pointed to Belle's empty sword case in her leather black belt.

She stared at him with confusion then looked down at her outfit. When she met his gaze once more, he snapped his fingers and a large silver sword appeared in the grasp of her hands.

"This might come in handy eventually" Rumpelstiltskin stated. "These mountains are not like the ones back home. If something or someone attacks you, you know what you must do." Rumpelstiltskin grimaced.

Belle blinked at the shining untouched sword in her hands. "Got it." She spoke softly under her breath, starting to feel aches in her stomach.  
Another foul roar echoed through the mountains, which startled Belle. She clasped tightly onto the Rumple's arm then acknowledging what she was doing, she let go and took a step back awkwardly.

"You seem rather frightened by those monsters while you've been traveling with one for quite sometime." Rumpelstiltskin pointed out.

Something bothered Belle about that certain statement. Anyone who had saved her from the mermaids must have some redeemable qualities.

"Your not a monster" she protested. "You've made wrong decisions perhaps in the past but who hasn't. Monster is not a word I would use to describe you as."

"Everyone else would disagree, how else would you describe me?"

Belle gulped pulling her dark auburn hair out of her face.  
"Maybe you need to stop worrying about what other people think." She suggested.

Rumpelstiltskin made a scuffing noise in his throat.

"Easy for you to say, you're a princess, people like you, you have friends and family who care about you."

"Well yes, but I've been called odd and strange before. I mean.. I always have my nose stuck in a book, I'm distracted easily and if I could marry books instead of a snobby prince, I probably would!" Belle let out a shy laugh.

"There's nothing wrong with being... Well a little bit different from other people." Then she paused, then another curious question popped into her mind.

"What happened to your family?" she blurted out, wishing she could take that question back immediately after saying it.  
Belle asked innocently her bright blue eyes stared into the black pits that were Rumpelstiltskin eyes.

"I'm a tough person to love" Rumple said in a deep mesmerizing tone, coming up from behind her, his face inches from hers.

Belle turned to face him. For seconds she stared into his scaled green-grey skin. She could sense there was something there, something so human that she wouldn't allow herself to think that he was a complete monster.

"Lost." was all Belle said. "You asked me to describe you in one word, so I did. You, Rumpelstiltskin, are lost."She whispered softly.

"I'm not lost, dearie. I'm perfectly intact."  
Who are you trying to convince? Rumple thought to himself. Her? Or yourself?

After more hours of walking, with booming growls in the distance, Belle became timid, stumbling over her sword. She growled with frustration every time she stumbled.

"You could have gave me a smaller sword. This one is more than half my size." She insisted.

"A sword is a sword dearie, at least you have something to defend yourself with."

"I told you to call me Belle" she announced.

"I wonder if the characters in your books complained this much and annoyed their guide, just like you." Rumple had a tease to his voice.  
"Do you want to know what I think?" She asked hopefully.

"You're going to state your opinion anyway." Rumple answered slightly amused.

"I think you were lonely. That's why you invited me to come to this place" Belle commented walking the same pace as Rumple now.

"Or maybe I just know how to recognize a desperate soul." He explained looking over at her.

Belle stared at her feet and tried not to smile, then as her gaze returned, she smiled widely to discover how high they had climbed. The view looked like as if they were staring at a tropical snow globe, undisturbed and peaceful. The sun was already beginning to set over the orange-blue horizon. It was a completely perfect picture. Then a loud voice interrupted her deep thoughts.

"Belle! Watch out!" Rumple proclaimed.

Belle whipped around to see one gigantic troll heading her way. She found herself frozen in that one spot, unable to find the coordination to move.  
Rumple stepped in front of her.

"I'll take care of this... Problem." He stated.

Then as the troll came closer, the expressions on his face became scorned with pain. Belle turned to Rumple with shock. He was harming this creature with magic, causing them horrible pain. The sounds of the creature's groans and yelps made Belle shake her head.

"Stop!" She breathed. When he ignored her calls she stepped in front of him and came face to face.  
"Rumpelstiltskin. Stop. Please." Her voice sounded more demanding than it did pleading, whispering the word please.  
Seconds passed and the trolls sounds of pain stopped, while Rumple gave her a strange look after stopping his magic. Wearily Belle approached the creature, which was still on the ground.

"Excuse me" Belle bit her lip coming closer and closer to the troll. She had read about trolls, contradictory to their cliché, trolls were rather peacefully creatures. The troll got up and towered over Belle, staring directly down at her.

"Are you alright?" She questioned. Belle started to flinch as the troll opened his mouth to speak.

"Yes, thank you, gentle lady." The troll sighed happily. "I'm sorry if I startled you... two" the troll stared at Rumpelstiltskin with uncertainty.

"I was startled when I looked out of my cave, I thought you were that band of pirates again. They have been coming up into these mountains quite often lately, searching for treasures and such things, and Disturbing my kind."

Belle smiled up at the terrifying looking creature. "Can you direct us to the way down this mountain?" Belle asked hopefully.

"Indeed I can. You continue going straight and at the second mountain peak, turn down left.

"Thank you." She smiled and waved Rumple to follow her.

"I didn't catch your name." The troll noticed, wishing to know the name of such a brave, caring girl.

"Belle" she spoke gently.

"Thank you Belle for not letting him go through with harming me, not many would stand up for a troll like me."

"I don't judge a book by its cover." She smiled and waved goodbye to the misunderstood troll, as she and Rumple walked deeper into the mountain ranges.

"How did you know the troll would not kill you?" Rumple asked curious of her answer.

"I read it once.. In one of my books" she admitted. "Trolls are actually very peaceful creatures."

"You are a very peculiar girl Belle." Rumple mused.

Belle smiled and pushed her hair behind her ears.  
"You have no idea."


	4. Chapter 4

The incident with the troll had left Rumple curious. Something about this girl intrigued him, maybe it was her quick wit and charm- then he stopped himself in his thoughts.

Why on earth was he thinking about the princess that way? She was nothing but a pawn in his master plan to obtain Captain Hook's most prized pocession. But if she was just a pawn, why did he start to tremble just thinking about her?

She was kind, gentle and beautiful, inside and out, everything he was not. She was a beauty and he was a horrifying ugly beast.

He approached Belle who sat on a nearby rock staring at the setting sun.

"We should reach Shipwreck Cove within a couple days, that's where Hook docks the Jolly Roger."

Rumple tried to start up a conversation with Belle, who remained still in a state of serenity.

"Great." Belle tried to be polite then turned her back towards him once more.

Rumple cleared his throat and stood up tall.

"We better keep going, the sun will have set soon." He spoke.

"Being in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night isn't the best idea." He added

When Belle stood up, she found herself feeling dizzy and light headed, her vision became blurred as she stumbled into a nearby tree.

"Belle." She heard Rumple call her name.

It sounded like a deep echo that was almost muted. Her eyelids began to close shut, feeling a deep wave of drowsiness. Belle leaned up against the tree and slid down. Rumples eyes widened when he saw a deep gash near the bottom of her leg.

"Where did you get that from?" His tone sounded angry and unsettled. Belle tried to stand up and regain her balance.

"I-I-I'm not quite sure I was walking and accidentally cut myself just a little from the sword-" Belle murmured.

Rumple sighed, of course she did. When things started to get okay again, Belle happened to fall or stumble across something dangerous. This girl must have some kind of death wish.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked focusing on the bloody gash.

Belle shrugged. "I thought you would get mad at me" she spoke sheepishly. "It doesn't really matter anyway, its just a little blood."

"It does indeed matter!" He hissed, then with realization of his horrifying temper, he attempted to calm his nerves.

"You've lost a lot of blood. That's what is most likely causing the dizziness." Rumple explained, watching as Belle once again attempted to pick herself up and walk in a straight line.

"See." Belle said drowsily "I'm fine."

Then as he noticed her swaying again he got to her side just in time before she fell down once again. She grabbed his shoulder while his arm supported her weight. Rumple sat her down then took a closer look at the wound.

"I can heal the wound, but I cannot heal the fact that you've lost a fair amount of blood in the past day or so."

He told the half unconscious Belle, who kept closing her eyes then quickly reopening them to try and stay awake. Then he waved his scaly hand over Belles leg and the cut began to close magically. Then as the sun went down Rumple wondered what he would do with Belle, she needed to recover somewhere safe.

Then as silence took over the lower mountain range, beats of drums boomed in the distance. Just as quickly as the noise had been detected, Rumpelstiltskin thought of a plan. The tribe of natives dwelled around these parts of Neverland. He knew that if they were to find Belle, they would most likely take her in where they would be able to feed her and fully heal her.

Carefully picking up Belle, Rumple carried her to the front of the native camp and gently placed her on the ground, softly stroking her dark hair, pushing it away from her face.

Patiently he waited for someone to notice her. He watched as she stirred among the ground making sleepy noises and repeatedly yawned.

Belle somehow managed to get under his skin with her clumsiness and stubbornness. He had never met a princess so uncoordinated and free willed until he had met Belle, but that was why she intrigued him so much. After these two days he found himself wanting to protect her, instead of thinking of her as the clumsy foolish girl.

Then suddenly, swiftly out of the bushes came a fat dark skinned man with red painting on his face. He wore a feathered large hat, proving that he was the Chief of the Native tribe.

As the Chief carried Belle back to camp like Rumple had predicted he followed closely making sure no harm came to Belle.

Belle reawakened several hours later feeling refreshed. She sat up and looked around at her strange surroundings. Her eyes scanned the area around her feet, where bits of feathers and cloth lay.

It seemed as if she was in some sort of tent. The last thing she remembered was when Rumpelstiltskin had healed her wound. The rest of her memory seemed faded and unrecoverable.

Belle pulled up her pant leg and looked for any trace of the wound. She was amazed that there wasn't even a scar left where she had cut herself.

Then a young boy popped his head into the tent and stared at Belle. He started speaking a language she was not familiar with asking her questions. She backed up into the corner of the tent.

"I'm sorry- I cannot understand you." Her voice seemed to echo throughout the tent.

Where was Rumpelstiltskin? She questioned herself. Had he abandoned her due to her repetitive foolishness? Perhaps he chose not to waste his time with such a naïve foolish princess afterall.

The native boy began to speak once more gesturing at Belle to follow him out of the tent. Wearily, she got up and followed the stranger. The air had become colder which made her shiver a little. The night had taken over the once sunny horizon. Bright stars shone so bright it seemed as if she could reach out and touch them herself. The night sky in Neverland was way more breath taking then the night sky she was used to seeing from her castle.

Belle glanced around the native camp. There were many tipis lit up from the fires near them. Around the tipis both women and men danced with dark red and black paint around their eyes and on their cheeks.

As she continued to follow this one boy, he lead her down a stretched path leading to strong fire light. There stood two natives, one with a large feathered hat and beside him a small beautiful young girl. Belle came before them and gulped, her heart beating fast. She bowed quickly not making eye contact with the Chief. In return both the Chief and his daughter let down a low bow.

"Has the medicine started to kick in?" The Chief spoke clearly.

You can speak english! Belle thought feeling rather relieved. But what was he talking about?

"What medicine?" She asked.

"To get back your strength and increase your blood flow. The medicine has some side effects though however you will be experiencing in the next hour or two." He explained.

"We found you on the side of the path, you had lost quite a bit of blood." The Chief then signalled his daughter to fetch some water for their guest.

"Thank you for your kindness and generosity." Belle thanked him smiling shyly.

Then the beautiful young girl returned handing the cup of water to her father.

"Thank you Tigerlily."

The Chief accepted the cup of water and handed it to Belle, who drank it fulfilling her dehydration.

"When you found me.." She started trying to word her sentence.

"Was there a... man around?" Belle questioned wondering about Rumpelstiltskin's whereabouts.

The chief shook his head

"We found you alone. We decided to take you into our care. While you are here, I invite you to join us in the summer solstice celebration."

The chief gestured to a bunch of dancing people, dancing to the fast paced beat of their drums.

"I feel completely energized." Belle smiled then started to laugh.

"The medicine is kicking in" Tigerlily giggled quietly to her father as they watched Belle join the group of dancers.

She was confronted by the boy who had lead her out of the tent holding out his hand to her. She took his hand and tried to imitate the way the other women were dancing. Adrenaline kicked in, causing Belle to sway with rhythm to the music laughing with delight.

This was like a feeling she had never had before. For once in her life she felt as if she could do anything, for once she felt free.

Around an hour later, out of the corner of her eye she caught a familiar sight. She quickly excused herself from the dancing and ran up to Rumple wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"I thought you had left me." She smiled wide.

Rumple pulled back from the hug. "You seem to be feeling better." He observed.

"When you passed out I started to panic and knew that the natives would take care of you." he admitted.

"You did that?" Belle stared at the man she once would have described as a monster, noticing his sudden inside beauty.

Then without much notice she beamed and started to giggle once again.

"Your in a good mood." He grinned widely.

"Oh yes! You should try this medicine sometime. Its absolutely wonderful." Belle giggled feeling the side effects of the medicine almost creating a high like feeling.

"It makes you feel.. Alive!" She shouted the last word proud, covering her mouth with her hand to control her laughing.

"I would have never experienced any of this if it wasn't for you.." She trailed off slowly moving closer to him, grabbing his hand in hers.

Rumple stared at her in shock. This must be the medicine talking, someone like Belle could never care about him. He thought.

Her blue eyes met his and he found his heart beating faster then usual.

My god.. You've fallen in love with her! Rumple realized taking a step back from Belle staring at her with uncertainty.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

There's no way Belle would ever return such feelings! What on earth could he offer her? He was the Dark One, he did not deserve happiness.

Belle continued to stare at him looking happy and ecstatic.

"Why are you so.. Cheerful?" Rumple acknowledged.

Belle shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps I'm just... Happy to see you."

Belle moved closer again and this time Rumpelstiltskin found himself suddenly unable to move. Her eyes then moved from his eyes to his lips.

Slowly Belle moved her face closer to his until their lips were almost touching. At the last minute Rumple pulled back, clearing his throat.

"You should go rejoin the celebration." He suggested.

"Will you come dance with me if I do?" She asked raising her eyebrows playfully.

"I'll uhm.. catch up with you later." He spoke in an unusual voice.

Belle nodded and rejoined the native celebration. He watched her dance the way she was so alive and jubilant.

He could never make her truly content like that. They had come so close to kissing near minutes ago. It must have been the medicine influencing her.

He thought.

"She would never love such a beast." He whispered softly to himself.

He wasn't allowed to feel such feelings, especially for her. He needed to end whatever that just was and as soon as possible before it continued any further.

After the medicine seemed to wear off Belle once again found herself looking for Rumpelstiltskin. She kept replaying the thought of their lips being so close, so close that an inch could have touched them together.

She thanked the Chief and Tigerlily for their kindness and said goodbye, traveling to the spot where she had last seen Rumpelstiltskin.

She searched around for any sign of him then got frightened when he abruptly appeared behind her.

"You scared me." She let out a soft breath.

Rumple had set up a fire and a camp nearby where they could spend the night. When they arrived, Belle immediately rushed to the fire warming up her hands.

The stars continued to shine bright down upon NeverLand.

"You know when I was young, I used to stare out into the night sky and find the brightest star and make a wish."

"Have all your wishes come true then?" He spoke with a rather sarcastic tone.

Belle shrugged. "No, but It sure is a beautiful night though." She gazed towards Rumpelstiltskin, getting up to go stand beside him.

" I never really thanked you for what you did." Belle spoke softly.

"For what you did, back there with leading me to the tribe."

"It wasn't such a bother." He used an amused voice, not letting his stare leave Belle.

Then once again they both found themselves in the same position as they were before. Belle's lips were not much more than a couple inches away. This time her lashes fluttered when she closed the space between them.

The kiss was sweet and short and almost nerve racking for both of them. As they moved back apart, Belle notices something strange.

"Rumple, your skin-" She pointed to his arm where all the scales had completely disappeared.

In confusion to what Belle was referring to, he looked down at his arm. The kiss was making him... human!

Being human was weakness! This was all a trap wasn't it! She was draining him of his power.

Rumpelstiltskin angrily snapped out of the calm state he was in continued to stare and his bare arm. Then without much effort, his anger and hatred replaced the human skin, once again to the scaly inhuman version.

" I see what you're up to!" His eyes widened.

Belle seemed startled and shaken at this new anger she had never seen him express before.

" You think you can make me weak?! Is this you being the hero and killing the beast?" He roared.

"Rumple when I kissed you, I meant it-" She whispered trembling attempting once more to grab his hand in comfort.

"Shut up!" He outburst, ripped his hand away from hers.

"But I did!" She protested.

"Shut the hell up!" He screamed once more becoming more angry with each syllable he pronounced.

"Why won't you believe me?!" She started yelling back at him to match his tone of voice.

"Because no one, NOONE COULD EVER LOVE ME!" He screeched shaking Belle by the shoulders, using a terrifying voice that caused Belle to cringe and whimper.

All Belle remembered of the last minutes of that night, was that she sobbed herself gently to sleep.

When Belle awoke the next morning she found Rumple with his back towards her, facing the view down the mountain.

"You're finally awake." He remarked.

"So where are you leading me now?" She innocently wondered. Not trying to focus on the frightening, awkward night before.

"You don't need me to guide you anymore dearie."

"What do you mean?" She responded, if this was some sort of joke it certainly was not funny.

When Rumpelstiltskin failed to reply, Belle understood that he was indeed perfectly serious.

"You're leaving me? Is this because we almost- then last night when I actually kissed you? I'm sorry if that's why your doing this, but I promise not to do anything foolish or dangerous anymore.. Just don't leave me alone." Belle pleaded her big blue eyes full of desperation.

"I'll find you when you are aboard the Jolly Roger to claim my prize." His voice showed no emotion.

"Is that all you care about?" Belle whispered not believing what she was hearing.

Belle tried to take a step closer to Rumpelstiltskin to get some sort of understanding what was going on.

Immediately he moved away from her, giving her a version of the cold shoulder.

How could such an enchanted night take such a wrong turn? she wondered. Then all of a sudden her anger kicked in.

"What if I get lost?" Belle demanded angrily. "Then you will never get your stupid hook." She growled.

She was getting aggravated at him, that was good. It would be easier for him to leave if she hated him.

"You will know the way." Was all he said and just like that, Rumpelstiltskin was gone, leaving Belle unprotected and alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Belle tried her hardest not to cry. Crying was weakness and being weak was something she couldn't afford to be right now. The sun shone down on her dark hair, warming up her entire body.

The sun had already peaked over the mountain declaring the day. She found herself furiously thrushing through tropical plants, abandoning the path that she was once on. Large bugs flew into her face, which caused her to walk faster and curse under her breath.

This was hopeless, she had hardly been walking an hour and already she was lost. Belle still couldn't believe Rumpelstiltskin had left her, it was as if he didn't want himself to be happy. Before the 'incident' between the two of them, the feelings were mutual but now Belle wasn't so sure. Clearly Rumple decided by himself that power had been more important then his emotions, and in the end that would be more important to him then she would ever be.

She abruptly stopped when she approached a small clearing in the scenery. Then in the middle of the small deforested area, sat a tiny trinket.

What is this doing out in the middle of nowhere? She thought, it looked like a wooden toy, made for a child.

As Belle reached out and grabbed it, she found herself being pulled from the ground and hanging upside down.

"Great" she hissed sarcastically attempting to bend up towards her feet and untie them.

She struggled to keep her sturdiness, the blood was being rushed to her head which resulted in a headache. Then she heard a noise that she did not expect, the sound of children giggling. Belle brushed the messy hair out of her face and searched for the children responsible for this.

When Belle once again had clear vision of her surroundings, she was shocked to be surrounded by six young boys. Some of them, like the natives, had feathers intertwined in bits of their hair. She heard them whispering amongst themselves but couldn't quite make out what they were talking about.

"Are you a pirate?" A boy with dark hair and bright blue eyes asked, keeping his distance from the trapped stranger.

"A pirate? No, I'm a princess!" She proclaimed." My name is Belle."

"What's a ...princess?" The boys sounded out the unfamiliar word.

"Well.." Belle started a sentence but was interrupted by yet another question.

"What do princesses do?" Another boy asked.

She finally started to understand how Rumple felt when they had first met. These children were overwhelming her with questions that were hard to keep up to answer. Then Belle had a clever idea on how to get herself down from the hanging rope.

"Princesses are the best story tellers in all the lands." She smiled.

"Do any of you happen to like stories?" Belle asked. Then staring at one another, all six boys erupted with excitement.

"We love stories!" the boys quickly cut the rope that held her upside down, forcing Belle to fall onto the lush grass beneath her.  
By the time she stood up, all six of them bowed.

"We've never met a princess before!" Another jumped excitedly his eyes shining bright at the thought of being told stories.

"Could you... perhaps tell us one?" A shy boy asked not looking directly at her with bashfulness.

Belle tried to shake herself out of the dizziness from the fall and face them.

"Well I- suppose but I must be getting on my way soon. I'm on a special err.. Quest you could say."

The group cheered and lead Belle into to a large hollow tree, introducing her to their secret hideout. Belle sat in the back of the room on a wooden chair while the lost boys presented her with various items.

"I'm Nibs." One of the lost boys spoke introducing himself while handing her a white flower.

"Why thank you Nibs." Belle smiled touching the tip of her nose to smell it.

"I'm Curly." Spoke another handing her some berries on a leaf. Then without much fuss, all six managed to assemble themselves in front of Belle, creating a circle.

"Will you tell us a story now?" They squealed with delight.

She nodded placing the berries down beside her, quickly stuffing in a handful of berries into her mouth.

"Once upon a time far, far away lived a beautiful princess and two awful step sisters.."  
Belle went on to tell them the story of Cinderella which they enjoyed very much. After the first story was over, the lost boys begged for more.

"Tell us another!"

"Yes please do tell another Belle!"

Then out of the back of the room a louder voice seemed to overthrow the rest. "What's going on here? "the voice demanded.

All six lost boys turned around at once to face a dark red haired boy dressed from head to toe in green.

"Peter." They all spoke his name and stood up.

"This is Princess Belle." Nibs commented.

"She tells stories." explained Curly his eyes filled with happiness and excitement.

Then just like the other lost boys Peter Pan became fascinated.

"Stories? how wonderful! Do tell another one" he pleaded looking up into Belle's eyes with hope.

Then following Peter's plea the other lost boys joined in the pleading and Belle just couldn't resist.  
She told them of Sleeping Beauty, The little mermaid, Mulan and Snow White while they were still eager to know even more stories. After a couple long hours she sat up off the chair and faced the boys.

"I'm afraid I must leave." Belle sadly declared.

Moans and groans of disappointment swept through the room which made Belle feel bad.

"I do not have much time and I am in search for someone." she tried to explain while her smile faded. "Though I'm afraid I'm terribly lost."

Peter Pan sat up and faced Belle.

"Do not fret beautiful Belle. In exchange for your lovely stories, maybe we could lead you to where you need to go. Tell us who you are searching for." Peter Pan gracefully obliged, leaning into a low bow.

"Some pirate named.. Captain Hook." Belle stated the name, unsure of its origins or who this man really was.

Silenced immediately swept over the room like a harsh wind.

"Why would someone as kind and gentle as you be seeking out such a foul person?" Peter asked confused and flustered.

"Its rather complicated, but it would be greatly appreciated if you could possibly direct me in the correct direction." She hopingly wondered.

"If Captain Hook is who you seek, he lives in his pirate ship docked at Shipwreck Cove. We can lead you in the right direction, but we will not go with you to that place" Peter Pan advised getting reassurance from the lost boys.

"Thank would be fantastic!" She grinned. Then noticed light tugging on her left leg.

"Belle Princess" he called her softly reversing the order of her name she was used to hear it in.

"Your clothes are ripped and filthy. We will make you something new to wear instead of those rags." He declared.

"Yeah." Agreed another lost boy.

"An outfit made for a princess." Proclaimed Nibs proudly.

"And it won't take long. We promise!" Curly reassured.

Belle watched as the lost boys gathered cloth and quickly worked on it, clipping bits of flowers and strands of green grass onto it. Belle's jaw nearly dropped when she observed the dress they had made for her. When Belle put on the dress she stepped out into the opening.

The dress was a pale green, flowing down to her knees, flowers were sewed around the belt and some near the seam of the bottom. It was absolutely breath taking.

"It is very beautiful! What could I ever do to repay you?" She questioned.

The boys simply shrugged. "You have given us stories to last us a lifetime."

She smiled then got an idea. Belle grasped her emerald necklace and ripped it off, handing it to Peter.

"Take this as a reminder of me." She stated, watching Peter's happy reaction while the others swarmed around him trying to catch a glimpse of the emerald delicate piece of jewellery.

They stepped out of the hollow tree and pointed Belle west.

"If you travel along that path, you should reach Shipwreck Cove in less then a day."

Belle took a breath in almost smelling the salty air. She was no longer in the mountains, but in another part of the tropical forest. She thanked and waved goodbye to all seven boys and continued her way in search for the Jolly Roger.

* * *

Rumpelstiltskin didn't know what to feel. He felt guilty because he realized he had treated Belle horribly last time they had seen one another. He regretted it immediately after their fight and wanted to reunite with her. Rumple's feelings for her had not changed, he was in love with Belle, the clumsy, beautiful princess.

She would probably be close to finding the jolly roger by now and obtaining the hook.. He thought then his stomach felt like it was about to come out his mouth. THE HOOK! He opened his eyes wide with fear.

He had not warned Belle before he left about the secret he had been keeping from her. At first she was just his pawn, a necessary sacrifice for his rise of power, but that was until he realized he loved her, he was in love with her.

For someone to obtain the hook of the captain they must attempt to take it off, but little did they know the hook is laced with a very powerful poison. He was going to go with her on the ship and once she touched it first, it would not affect him second.

This poison was deadly to the first person to ever touch it, and after that it became a very powerful magical weapon. If Belle tried to get grab the hook, she would slip into a coma and die within a day.

He couldn't let anything happen to the innocent girl. Suddenly he realized how little power meant to him if it meant losing the only person that truly loved him. How could he have been so stupid and arrogant?! He needed to find Belle and warn her fast, before it was too late.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for the kind reviews once again! I plan on making this story 8 or 9 chapters long so I will try to update daily. I just saw the preview for tomorrows episode of OUAT and cannot wait for some rumbelle! Disclaimer: I do not own once upon a time or any of the characters. **

When Rumpelstiltskin could not detect Belle with his magic mirror he became worried. What if something had happened to her? He plagued himself with horrible thoughts but shut them out of his mind.

If anything happened because of his foolishness by leaving her, he would never forgive himself.

"Belle" he whispered "Where are you?"

* * *

Belle peeped her head out of the bushes, her big blue eyes focused on the cove that lay before her.

"Shipwreck Cove." She mouthed searching for a ship of any kind that could possibly be the Jolly Roger.

The cove was like a tropical oasis. There were palm trees just skimming the perimeter of the landscape. Out of all the things she was able to see, the Jolly Roger was no where in sight.

"If I didn't want anyone to find my ship, I surely wouldn't have it out in the open either." Belle thought.

That's when she realized that the Jolly Roger must be hidden somewhere around the cove. Belle walked near the water squishing the sand as she walked, her dress flowing gently in the wind.

"If only I could stay here forever" Belle sighed out loud, mesmerized by the breath taking scenery around her.

"Thank can be arranged." A voice called.

She whipped around to discover she was face to face with a pirate. He had dark hair, and unusual dark eyes to match. As Belle continued to examine him she noticed a silver hook on his left hand.

"Captain Hook." She drew in a breath backing away from him timidly.

The handsome man smiled slyly showing her his set of pearly white teeth.

"What brings such a beautiful woman out here to Shipwreck Cove?" He raised an eyebrow at her, while Belle paused.

She couldn't tell Hook that she was there to steal his most prized pocession. Then she stared back up at him and batted her eyelashes softly.

"I'm terribly lost." She lied. "I'm afraid I woke up this morning and do not remember how I happened to get to this strange land."

Captain Hook grinned. "Then I'll just have to show you around then."

He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to his chest leading her down the beach. "Let us go to my ship!"

Belle played along with the façade she had created and followed Captain Hook to the Jolly Roger. Hook stopped in front of the water and stared. "Its invisible." Belle whispered, then realized she had accidentally spoken her thoughts out loud.

"Smart and beautiful you are just the total package aren't you?" He cooed putting his hand under her chin lifting her gaze up to stare him in the face.

Belle looked back down not staring the captain in the face. Hook smirked then waved his hand over the water, revealing a large vessel right in front of their eyes.

"Its magic." Her voice sounded shaky and unsettled.

"Indeed it is. Anyway ladies first" he escorted Belle onto the ship and into the Captains' quarters underneath the top deck.

"I never caught your name, lovely."

"Its Belle." She wearily answered.

"Belle" he mused "A true name of a beauty."

She inwardly stared down not knowing what to say. She needed a plan to get that hook for Rumpelstiltskin, though her stomach sunk just thinking about him. Their last confrontation had ended in tears and doubt of any feelings ever being possibly displayed. Perhaps someone like him wasn't capable of love, but she knew that wasn't true.

She had seen it when they were together, the times he had come to her rescue- Belle snapped herself out of such thoughts. He clearly doesn't love you back. She concluded, which made her heart ache.

"Is something the matter?" Hook asked

Belle tried to smile. "Uhm..." She kept eyeing his hook trying to come up with some kind of plan.

"I think I just need some fresh air." She explained and walked out of the captains quarters out onto the deck.

Belle leaned over the railing staring blankly at the water.

"What are you doing here, Belle?" He asked her

"What do you mean? You invited me here."

"No I mean what are you doing in Neverland."

"Oh. I uhm don't quite remember." She spoke feeling flustered and scared.

Hook smirked at that comment and moved in to Belle's face whispering softly into her ear.

"You came here for something. I know what it is and so do you. Now take it." He challenged her aggressively.

Then in the moment Belle lunged forward and ripped the hook from the captains hand. She couldn't understand why he was smiling, until she felt the poison in her veins. It caused her body to spasm, then relax in stillness, hitting the hard wooden floor then slowly faded to black.

Knowing that Belle would do that, Captain Hook smiled and ripped the hook back from the foolish girl. The crocodile thought that he could trick him? He thought. Captain Hook placed his hook back on his left hand, she wore garments made from the lost boys and expected she wouldn't be caught trying to steal his most prized pocession. Stupid move indeed.

"Mr. Smee!" He yelled.

"Ye-yes c-captain?" A short fat man appeared, wearing a red knitted hat.

"Take this girl into my quarters, and guard her under any circumstances until the poison has entirely killed her." Hook demanded.

"Aye Capt'n." He took the orders quickly, lifting the blue eyed beauty to the chambers and placed her down on top of one of the nicer looking beds.

Captain Hook let out a sigh. "Such a beautiful girl, but so useless." he tisked walking away from the ship, noticing one of Belle's shoes had come off.

The poison already began to drain blood from Belle's face, making her lose her rosy cheeks, disguising her as if death had taken her already. She appeared as a motionless corpse waiting to be saved form this horrific fate.

* * *

"Peter, perhaps we should of escorted the princess right to the ship." Spoke Nibs.

" I agree Nibs, I have started to have an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach like the princess is in terrible, terrible danger." Peter Pan said gazing out the window.

"It has been nearly five hours since Belle had left us, and the weather is changing outside. Something horrible has happened." He added grimacing.

They gathered the rest of the lost boys together to form a large group.

" We must track down Captain Hook and make sure nothing has happened to Princess Belle." Announced Peter.

"We must be brave! Like the people from the stories she had told us!" Nibs projected.

"YEAH!" The other boys yelled agreeing with what was just said, setting out to find the princess with pure determination on making sure she was alright.

They came across Shipwreck Cove walking along the beach in search for Belle. The Jolly Roger was fully visible but looked deserted.

"Belle!" One boy called projecting his voice, causing it to echo throughout the cove.

"Shhhhh!" Peter hissed covering the boys mouth with his hand. "Someone will hear you!" he whispered angrily.

"Look Peter! Its Belle's shoe!" Curly pointed towards a patch of sand yards away from them. All they lost boys rushed at once towards the shoe except for Peter who seemed rather skeptical. There was not something right about this, it was too suspicious. Peter thought to himself.

As the lost boys approached the show them were suddenly trapped by a cage which seemed to come out of thin air.

Peter stared at this sight in horror and knew he needed to get out of there fast if he was to save both the princess and the lost boys.

Captain Hook walked towards the cage of trapped children, cocking his head to one side with delight.

"Well, well what do we have here." He smiled his evil toothy grin as he demanded Mr. Smee an assignment.

"Tie them up and lock them in the room with the girl." Captain Hook smiled evilly.

Captain Hook chucked. He had the lost boys trapped and the mysterious girl who was somehow associated with the crocodile. Soon the Belle would die, and the lost boys along with her and on top of everything, there was nobody around that could stop it.


	7. Chapter 7

Rumpelstiltskin prayed that Belle had not gone near Hook and he needed to reach her before she reached the Jolly Roger.

Rumple walked up and down the mountain sides calling out her name in search of her. Then out of the corner of his eye, a young boy wearing green appeared. Rumple faced the boy and directed his sword toward his neck.

"Who are you?" Rumple questioned.

"I mean no harm, I promise." Peter Pan explained. "I heard you calling out Belle's name." he added.

"How do you know Belle-" he gritted though his teeth now pointing the sword directly at his chest. " Did she come by here?" He asked lowering his guard.

Peter slapped the sword out of his hand quickly giving himself time to explain himself.

"I am her friend. She told us stories and wanted us to lead her to the Jolly Roger." The boy spoke grimacing at such a thought.

"Us?" Rumple questioned a little confused who did he mean by us?

"The lost boys and I." Peter explained.

Captain Hook has poisoned her and took the lost boys captive on his ship." Peter said angrily and discouraged.

Rumple's heart sank. Belle had done it, she was so loyal to him that she tried to take the hook from the Captain. It was his fault for not telling her, and now she would pay the ultimate price.

Then it was as if a fire burned with both of them ready to burst.

"We must defeat Captain Hook once and for all!" Peter declared angrily, imagining the lost boys trapped in a cage somewhere on the pirate ship.

"Lead me to his ship." Rumpelstiltskin spat, imagining poor Belle. Was she dead already? Was it too late to save her? He would soon to find out.

* * *

Back on the Jolly Roger, the lost boys surrounded Belle around the bed.

"She's dead!" Curly wailed looking upon Belles cold motionless body.

"No, she has a pulse!" announced Nibs feeling the top part of her throat with his hand. "Belle is still alive." He declared to the rest of the boys.

All six of them let out a deep sigh of relief.

"She won't be for long." Captain Hook called from outside the door, sounding rather smug about himself.

"And then after she's dead, all six of you have the pleasure of walking the plank." He chuckled leaning against the door.

"You six should be grateful I released you from that tight cage in the first place." The Captain yelled again at the un appreciative children.

Then a loud noise smashed outside the door, which caused the lost boys to jump, and surround Belle with a circle.

A unfamiliar face busted through the door, revealing that he had just knocked the Captain unconscious.

"Who are you?" The lost boys sniffled leaning over Belle's still body.

"I am going to be the end of Captain Hook." Rumple said noticing Belle's body on the bed.

As Rumple came closer the lost boys backed off allowing some room for him.

"Is she.. Dead?" Rumple whispered, drawing in her harshly pale features that were once so vibrant.

"Not yet." Captain Hook stumbled in obviously Rumple had not knocked him out completely.

"But she will be crocodile! The poison has taken root in her whole body and soon she will be nothing more then a memory." He paused briefly taking a look at the poisoned princess.

"Too bad, she was very beautiful wasn't she? She would have made a very agreeable lover". Hook laughed awaiting Rumples reaction.

Then Rumple got up immediately and before he could knock Captain Hook back to the ground, Hook turned around the other way. Peter Pan stood outside the door with a sword in hand facing in the Captain's direction.

"Peter Pan!" Hook gritted angrily through his teeth and drew his own sword.

The two started sword fighting, causing them to exit the quarters and go onto the deck of the ship, while Rumple moved closer to Belle. Even in death she was still so beautiful, and so breath taking.

"Is there no way to save her?" Nibs sniffled staring up Rumple, who longed for Belle.

Then something came to his mind right away. It would never work and might be pointless to try.

"True Love's kiss may be able to wake her up." He quietly spoke waiting for the children's disturbed reactions. "True loves kiss!" One of them squeaked with sudden excitement.  
"Belle told us about True loves kiss. It can break any curse!"

They once again stared up at Rumple. "Will you do it?" They pleaded.

Suddenly Rumpelstiltskin's heart felt as it would leap out of his chest as he approached the other side of the bed facing Belle's head.  
This would never work. Rumple told himself. She was a beauty, and he is a beast. Then as he came closer flashbacks had taken over his vision.

**"You're not a monster"** she had reassured him

**"Lost."** She had whispered. **"You Rumpelstiltskin are lost."**

**"I think you were lonely."**

"**Why won't you believe me?!"**

**"Because noone, NOONE COULD EVER LOVE ME!"**

Then with those last thoughts he lowered himself down gently touching his lips to Belle's.

When he broke the kiss and stood back up, Belle still laid there motionless as ever.  
I knew it would never work. Rumple thought feeling defeated and powerless.

Then is if in a blink of an eye Belle gasped for air rapidly, fiercely looked around to where she was.  
The first face she saw made her heart stop. He gulped gazing into her blue eyes.

"I knew true love existed." She spoke softly jumping up to throw her arms around Rumple, who was still stunned that the kiss had worked.

He lifted her off the bed so they were both standing up, hugging tighter then he ever thought was possible.

"Belle." He whispered. "I am so sorry- when I told you to grab the hook I knew what it would do... But that was before-"

She cut him off pulling back a little so their noses were touching.

"It doesn't matter because you came for me in the end." she cooed trying to kiss him again but Rumple didn't notice.

"And that stupid fight we had, Belle I didn't mean any of it then I-" Rumple continued trying to beg Belle for forgiveness.

Belle pursed her lips with a smile, then she kissed him right on the mouth shutting him up.

"I know your sorry." She smiled happy to see him. All the fights and all the obstacles they went through finally felt worth it.

"Princess Belle!" The lost boys leaped up with joy. "You're alright!"

"I am." She smiled blushing because they had been watching them unknowingly the entire time.

"Thanks to you" Belle grabbed Rumple's hand.

Then above them on the deck they heard swords smashing fiercely against one another. He had to go put an end to Hook, once and for all.

Rumple took Belle's hands with his and looked down at her with loving eyes.

"Please sweetheart, stay in this room while I go deal with Hook" He ordered. "I don't want to lose you again."

Belle opened her mouth to protest but didn't want to argue and get in a fight the whole five minutes she had been awake. Belle gently nodded, then lunged once again into an embrace.

"Be careful." She dug her face into the top part of his shirt, kissing his cheek as he left the room.

Belle turned to face the lost boys who were assembled in a straight line facing her.

"Are we really going to wait here and miss all the action?" Curly asked sounding disappointed.

Belle breathed in letting out a small grin.

"No way." She whispered. "We just need to come up with a plan first."

* * *

Rumple made it to the top deck where Peter Pan and Hook continued their armed fight.  
Once Peter saw Rumple, he flew back up into the air and disappeared. Capatain Hook whipped around to face him.

"Ah the crocodile is ready for a fight I see!" He smirked. "Do your worst!"

"Oh I intend to." Rumpelstiltskin hissed full with rage that was about to be unleashed. As the fight became more intense and it was clear Hook was losing, the Captain had another trick up of his sleeve.

"You don't think I wasn't on to you, trying to steal my hook. How stupid do you think I am crocodile?" Hook accused boiling with rage.

"One can only hope." Rumpelstiltskin let out a deep laugh once again clashing swords with the dreaded captain.

"Do you really think I didn't prepare for your arrival. That's why I have this." Hook pulled a short silver dagger bearing the name Rumpelstiltskin on it.

Rumple stopped in his tracks. Any one who obtained that dagger could control him to do whatever what they commanded.

"Where did you get that?" His eyes no longer gleamed of vengeance but instead they were glued onto the dagger with fear.

Captain Hook let out a sigh that turned into a light chuckle. "I command thee-" He began trying to control the Dark One.

What happened next was a surprise to both of them. Belle ran up behind Hook and grabbed the dagger right out of his hand. With fast reflex, Hook took his sword and slashed Belles arm causing her to scream in excruciating pain. Blood dripped down in buckets over her dress. Rumple lunged to heal her until Hook took back the dagger and directed it at Rumpelstiltskin once more,

"I command thee to watch me bleed this girl dry." Hooks eyes were filled with mockery and ecstasy.

The Hook stood Belle up by her bleeding arm and without thinking twice slit the other arm open causing her to scream loudly once more. Tears were falling down her face as Rumple and Belle continued to look helplessly at one another.

Hook then noticed something he had not quite seen before. " You love her? Don't you" he snickered wickedly. Rumple met Hook's gaze.

"Answer me honestly crocodile." He demanded.

"Yes" he said defeated. Whatever Hook was going to do to Belle would be much worse now he knew the truth.

" Well now, lets watch Belle walk the plank then!" He declared his crew howling with agreement behind him.

He tied Belles hands together in a tight bound.

"I'm doing you a favor by saving you from this.. monster" Hook spoke loud enough so Rumple could hear.

"He's less the monster than you are" She growled, spitting him directly in the face.

Captain Hook wiped the spit off of his face furiously. If this girl wasn't going to suffer before, she was sure going to suffer before he killed her now.


	8. Chapter 8

Belle breathed heavily staring down into the deep blue rough water, approaching the end of the plank. Belle looked back over her shoulder staring back at Hook, secretly hoping he would change his mind.

"You can't do this!" Many voices called behind her which Belle knew belonged to the lost boys.

Once again they had been captured and were bound to walk the plank after her. The crew took the boys and covered their mouths harshly with their dirty hands. Belle turned back around facing the end of the unsteady wooden plank.

Her legs were shaking, making balancing even harder than before. Her arms still bled a little from the cuts, causing blood to drip down her dress. The Belle watched as her drops of blood fell into the water, arousing the sharks that swam below. Captain Hook made impatient noises in his throat.

"Get on with it. The sharks are hungry!" Hook shouted then used one foot to stomp on the plank, forcing Belle to lose her balance and fall.

"No!" Rumple yelled, knowing their was nothing to do but watch.

Everyone grew silent, anticipating the big splash. The more they waited, the more Captain Hook grew aggravated.

"Why wasn't there a splash?!" He demanded, whipping around yelling at the crew.

The lost boys looked around at one another, unsure of what had just happened. Hook ran to the edge of the ship and stared down into the water. There were two large sharks circling around one another.

"My god." Hook gasped. "The sharks have swallowed the princess whole!" He exclaimed trying to make sense of the non-apparent fall, not hearing Belle hit the water.

Rumple stared down at the ground, unable to move.

"Who's next?" Hook grinned pointing to the lost boys.

As Hook approached them, they cuddled up to one another for safety. Before Captain Hook had the chance to grab one of them, the crew gasped in awe. He turned his head towards the bow of the ship and saw Peter Pan holding Belle. He had obviously caught her before she had the chance to fall into the shark invested water.

"I would say your next to walk the plank, Hook." Peter spoke loud and clear, placing Belle down next to him.

The lost boys let out cheers of hope while a growl rose in Hook's irritated throat. Hook charged Peter holding out his sword. Belle immediately moved out of the way towards Rumple.

"What a foolish mistake." He chucked at Peter, who held up his sword in front of him in defense.

Hook violently clashed his blade with Peters, knocking Peter to the ground, causing his sword to fly out of his hand away from him. The lost boys covered their eyes in fear. Belle couldn't stand this anymore, something needed to be done.

Something dwelled within Belle. She had always wished one day she would be able to work up the courage and be brave. If she didn't be brave now, she feared that moment she wished for dearly would never arrive.

Belle got up, picked up Peter's sword from behind and cut off the captain's hand. His sword and the dagger fell to the ground along with his hand.

He shouted with anger and pain, dropping instantly to his knees. Belle grabbed the dagger and held in tightly within her grasp. Captain Hook turned around the look at her with pure hatred. A couple members of the crew had run off with the Captain had fallen to his knees with pain.

The crew that was left on board charged Belle with hopes of retrieving the dagger back from her. In panic, Belle searched for Rumple, who was across the ship from her.

"Rumple!" Belle screeched, throwing the dagger into his direction. He eyed it and caught it in his hand before it touched the ground.

The crew, witnessing the Dark One obtain the dagger fled off the ship immediately and left Hook alone.

"Belle" Rumpelstiltskin called waving his hand towards her for her to come to him. Without hesitation, Belle ran to him, hugging him tightly.

Rumple grabbed her wrapping her small body in his arms, then pulled her away staring at her deep wounds.

"Let me heal you." He whispered holding her arm up, once again healing her wounds.

He brought her up close to him, close enough that Rumple felt Belle's long eyelashes bat against his cheek.

All of a sudden, Hook got up covering his arms with a cloth material that was laying around the deck.

"You two don't deserve a happy ending!" He screamed enraged with how the events had turned out.

Then within seconds he was on his feet running at Belle, his hook directed for her heart. Out of panic Rumple pushed Belle out of the cross fire right before Hook had gotten to her , forcing her to slam into the sides of the ship.

Hook lost his balance and hit the low planks of the ship, causing him to fall over the side. His hook dug into the sides until it completely detached leaving Hook with no hands to hold on to anything.

Rumple heard a loud splash, as he stared over the side seeing Hook surrounded by sharks. Belle got up and joined Rumple, while the lost boys and Peter Pan were curious about the what had become of the dreaded pirate. Hook splashed in the water helpless,while the sharks swam closer to him, smelling in the rich blood fresh blood that poured from his hand.

"Rumple, you've got to save him!" Belle yelled unable to watch anymore.

Rumple slowly turned to stare at her like she was insane.

"He tried to kill you not even five minutes go." Rumple still stared at the struggling Captain, attempting to swim.

"That doesn't mean he should die!" Belle protested, grabbing Rumple's arm.

"Be the better person." She whispered, while Rumple almost looked annoyed.

As much as he wanted this man to suffer, Belle had some logic to argument.

"Alright" He gave into her, touching their heads softly together.

Rumple once more peered over the ships edge, watching as the sharks came closer and closer to eating Captain Hook whole. Rumple took a deep breath in, then snapped his fingers. Purple smoke twirled around Hook, then causing him to disappear.

"Where did you send him?" Peter Pan questioned, curious about the magic he had just witnessed.

"Somewhere he can no longer harm anyone." Rumple said returning his look at Belle who was smiling up at him, making his heart beat in a fast paced rhythm.

"I suppose the Jolly Roger belongs to you now" Rumple stated, turning his head to face the children.

The lost boys jaws dropped as they examined the ship. They jumped up excitedly with extreme energy, waving goodbye to Belle and Rumple. They scurried away to roam the large vessel, leaving Peter, Rumple and Belle alone.

"Thank you for your help, Peter" Rumple gave a slight bow to the young boy.

"No its you both I should be thanking. Captain Hook had terrorised Neverland for decades only creating misery and chaos. Without you two we could have never put an end to his reign of terror." Peter spoke pausing briefly, staring at the couple who couldn't take their eyes off of each other.

"I better go join the lost boys, who knows that kind of trouble they will get into next." Peter grinned then ran after the others, exploring the ship that now belonged to them.

Rumple and Belle once again found themselves alone on the top deck, the sun setting behind the mountains.

"I'm proud of you" Belle said, her blue eyes shined with the reflection of the setting sun.

"I suppose this belongs to you." She handed him the silver dagger placing it gently into his hands.

Then something in Belle didn't seem satisfied.

"As does this." She spoke turning her attention to the side of the ship.

She reached over the side of the boat and ripped the Captains hook from within the wooden boards. She flipped the hook over in her hands feeling the cool touch of the heavy silver, then held out her hand to his.

"Our deal is done then" she slightly smiled reflecting on the days they had spent together. So much had changed since she first stepped foot in Neverland. It seemed almost like a long dream that seemed so real until she would wake up and realize it. Rumple let out a small normal laugh, never breaking eye contact.

"I guess it is." He spoke, his voice laced with disappointment.

"What now?" Belle stared up at the creature that had eventually captured her heart.

"There is one thing I need to do before we go" Rumple spoke rather calmly leaning over the edge of the ship, tossing the hook far into the water so it would never be recovered again.

"What- I thought it could be a powerful weapon!" Belle exclaimed in alarm, confused at his motives for doing such a thing.

"It could be Belle, but I realized... that it didn't really mean much to me anymore." He simple shrugged.

"Then what does?" She responded trying to read his hidden emotions.

"You" Rumple whispered, leaning in to kiss her while she met him halfway crashing her lips to his.

When they pulled apart, Belle noticed a familiar sight.

"Rumple!" She squeaked happily her eyes looked in every direction over his face.

"Your skin.. Its becoming human again!" She traced his cheeks with her nails.

Rumple gulped feeling confused.

"Why is the kiss working all of a sudden?" He asked observing the change in his skin colour.

"Because you finally chose whether power meant more to you than love." She watched as his face turned human along with the rest of his body.

"When you rejected the change the first time, you were still attached to your power.. Seconds ago when you threw that hook away, a hook that could of provided you with powerful magic- you finally chose what you truly wanted."

Belle bit her lip mesmerized by Rumple's human state.

"And well... You chose love" Belle continued whispering into his ear.

For the first time, returned to his human state, Rumple leaned down and kissed Belle harder than he had ever done before. He ran his human hand over Belle's soft cheek and through her tangled dark auburn hair.

Then Belle noticed Rumple's silver dagger sticking out of his jacket.

"Does that dagger still work?" She questioned pointing to it sticking out of his brown coat.

"I don't plan on testing it out any time soon." He spoke gazing down at the sharp piece of light silver, which still engraved his name in dark letters.

" You better keep it in a safe place." She pleaded.

"Don't worry Belle, I already have a very special place in mind for it." Rumple reassured kissing her gently on the forehead.

The two walked off the Jolly Roger and found themselves walking along the beachside of Neverland underneath the breathtaking sunset.

"I remember when we first got here." Belle beamed, her hand intertwined with his.

Rumple started to chuckle in his throat a little at the memory. "You asked so many damn questions" he continued to laugh which made Belle snort out of laughter.

"I remember how annoyed you were with me the first four hours" she spoke smiling back at the memories.

"Now look at us." She observed their hands together and their extremely smitten stares.

"Who knew that you were the one who was destined to break my curse. Even I had the gift of foresight and never saw you coming." Rumple pointed out.

"Its strange how fate works. I believe that our own actions lead us to where we want to go, not where others tell us to go." Belle admitted.

" I mean if my father had not burned all my books like the way he did, this never would have happened-"

Then Belle's blue eyes opened wide shaking Rumpelstiltskin's arm in alarm.

"My father! Oh he has probably been wondering where I have been all this time!" She exclaimed feeling flustered, overcome with a wave of sudden guilt.

"Its no matter, nothing to worry about. Time works differently here. The days we were here are an equivalent to about six hours back home." Rumple explained reassuring Belle.

" Even as wonderful as it is here, I would enjoy to see my family again." She paused briefly linking her arm with his.

"Rumple I would like to go home" She expressed.

"Well then, your wish is my command." He whispered, breathing in the fresh air then bent down to softly to kiss her, allowing dark purple smoke to wrap around them, transporting them back home.


	9. Chapter 9

Belle found herself in her bedroom, still exhilarated by the adventure she had just experienced. She was back into her tight uncomfortable golden dress, and noticed her hair was curled and done up in the way it was before.

She looked around the room for any sign of Rumpelstiltskin, but he was nowhere to be found. It was like the whole adventure hat had completely changed her life, never even happened. Belle quickly straightened up and sat on her bed, trying to relax as someone opened her bedroom door.

"I'm glad to see you ready for the ball" Maurice spoke surprised to see Belle dressed up.

She opened her eyes wide in joy as she wrapped her arms around her father, even though the last time they had saw one another it ended badly.

"I'm happy to see you, I missed you." She spoke, excited to see him but couldn't help but feel disappointed that it wasn't Rumple who had entered through her bedroom door.

"Its only been about six hours Belle... but I'm happy to see you as well." He chuckled then his expression turned into a grimace.

"I'm so sorry about the fight we had earlier." Maurice paused obviously becoming upset by the way he had treated his only precious daughter.

"Papa, its alright-" She reassured.

"No Belle its not." Maurice interrupted feeling angry at himself.

"I've been thinking about what you said about Gaston. I was wrong to force into that engagement, it made me realize that you are old enough now to chose your own husband. So, I will announce the engagement to be called off at the Ball tonight." He declared.

"Thank you for understanding." she dug her nose into his shoulders deepening the hug.

"I'll let you continue to get ready" Maurice smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Belle couldn't help but smile to herself feeling content. Then across the room she noticed her book placed on the dresser, nearly falling off the edge of it. She picked up the book and read the title out loud.

"The Great Escape." she mouthed the title, feeling a twinge of excitement on her lips.

Belle opened it to reveal that the pages were ripped out in the middle creating a vertical shape, where a silver dagger lay bearing the name: Rumpelstiltskin. She picked up the dagger and held it in her hands, feeling the cold touch of the blade on her delicate skin. Underneath the dagger there lay a crumpled note with thick black writing on it.

**Belle, This belongs to you now. please keep it safe. Whenever you wish for me to appear, just whisper my name and I'll be there.**

Belle folded the paper in half, caressing it around her red lips. She carefully placed the dagger back into the spot where Rumple had hid it, and leaned against her windowsill staring out into the dark night. She held the book against her chest, observing the stars that seemed so dull compared to the ones in Neverland.

Belle put the folded note up to her lips and whispered his name, awaiting Rumple's arrival. This book had brought her so much adventure and fulfillment which made her beam and reflect at the memories in Neverland. It was everything she could of hoped for and now, Belle could finally retrieve the happy ending she deserved. She gazed down at the storybook in her arms once more which labelled the title clearly in bold letters: **The Great Escape**. Belle smiled to herself. It truly was.

**The end :)**


End file.
